2018 · GS Paper 3 · Q19 · 15 marks
Data security has assumed significant importance in the digitized world due to rising cyber crimes. The Justice B. N. Srikrishna Committee Report addresses issues related to data security. What, in your view, are the strengths and weaknesses of the Report relating to protection of personal data in cyber space?
In short
The Srikrishna Report's strengths were fiduciary duties, meaningful consent, graded safeguards and a powerful regulator, but it leaned towards the State through wide security exemptions, data localisation and weak user remedies. It proposed penalties of up to Rs 15 crore or 4% of global turnover.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 287 words
Fiduciary duty
Users became "data principals" and firms "data fiduciaries" owing a duty of care.
Consent and rights
Consent had to be free, informed, specific and withdrawable, with rights to access, correction and portability.
Graded safeguards
Health, biometric and financial data got stricter protection, and children's data could not be profiled.
Enforcement
An independent Data Protection Authority and penalties up to Rs 15 crore or 4% of global turnover applied to the State and private firms alike.
State exemptions
Processing for State security needed only a law and a necessity test, with no prior judicial or parliamentary oversight.
Localisation costs
A mandatory serving copy in India burdened start-ups and global firms.
Weak remedies
There was no right to erasure, and the Authority, not users, received breach notices.
RTI dilution
The proposed change to section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act risked shielding officials.
Balanced reform
Pair a surveillance law with judicial authorisation, direct breach notice to users and the DPDP Act 2023's negative-list approach to transfers.
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Cyber Security9 questions
Asked in 9 of 14 sittings since 2013
- 2024Describe the context and salient features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
- 2022What are the different elements of cyber security ? Keeping in view the challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2018 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.